As dawn broke over Ponyville, a high pitched-squeal echoed from somewhere in town, startling and confounding everypony within earshot.

Impact Hammer woke up with the sunrise…and with a dry cough, too.

Uh-oh, she thought. Did I have that dream again?

She rose from her sleeping bag, rolled it up, and placed in with the dirty laundry. She walked into the kitchen for a quick glass of water to soothe her throat, pulled a plastic case out of her saddlebags, and trotted off to the little fillies’ room to get ready for the day. As she brushed her teeth and combed her mane, she noticed her traveling cloak hanging over the edge of the bathtub. It was still ripped, but freshly laundered, just as Twilight promised. She folded it neatly and returned to the main reading room, where she slipped it inside her bag alongside the travel-size toolkit she always carried, in case of...

Somepony started pounding on the door.

“Twilight! Open up!” a voice called, “I need your help! It’s an emergency!”

That magic nine-letter ‘E’ word was all Impact needed to hear. Not bothering to take off the bathrobe she wore last night, she slipped her saddlebags on and raced to the door, opening it with a flourish.

“Hello?” she called.

She looked down to see an orange pegasus filly with a purple mane take an apprehensive step away from her.

“You’re not Twilight…” she replied shakily.

“No, I’m not.” Impact admitted, closing the door behind her so the conversation wouldn’t wake her friends.

“So, who are you?” the filly asked.

“My name is Impact Hammer.”

“Out-of-towner?”

The silver unicorn nodded.

“I got stuck in a mud hole during the storm last night.” she explained, “Twilight helped pull me out and let me spend the night here in her library. What’s your name?”

“I’m Scootaloo,” she said, introducing herself in a hurry, “and I need to talk to Twilight right now! Where is she?”

“She’s still sleeping. What’s the matter?”

“Something bad went down at the Carousel Boutique!” she said fearfully, “Sweetie Belle asked me to get help, so I came to ask Twilight!”

“Carousel Boutique…” Hmm… she thought, Twilight mentioned that place yesterday. “I might be able to help, but I don’t know where this Carousel Boutique is… Could you tell me?”

“Tell you? Nah…that’d take too long. I’ll show you!” Scootaloo said as she jumped onto a strange blue machine.

“What is this?”

“Oh. It’s my scooter!” she said with a smile. “I’m not the greatest flyer yet, so I use this to get around.” She pointed to the small cart attached to the back of the scooter. “Hop in!”

“OK.” Impact said as she carefully stepped aboard. It was a little small for her tastes, but it was bearable.

“Here we go!” Scootaloo cheered as she revved the engine and took off.

After deftly weaving through the twists and turns of Ponyville’s streets, Scootaloo stopped at a very elegant-looking building. Impact could hear agonized moans emanating from within.

“Sweetie Belle! Apple Bloom!” she called, hopping off her scooter, “I’m back!”

Two fillies appeared in the doorway, a white unicorn with a pink-and-purple mane and a cream-colored pony with a HUGE red bow in her red mane.

“Did you get Twilight?” the white filly asked with a worried look on her face.

“No…” Scootaloo admitted, “but I ran into somepony else who offered to help.” She directed their attention to the silver unicorn behind her. “I made a new friend!”

“Hello!” Impact said sweetly.

“Well, Ah reckon somepony is better than nopony…” the cream-colored filly sighed.

“So what seems to be the problem?” Impact asked.

“It’d be easier ta just show ya.” Apple Bloom said. “Come on!” she shouted as the three fillies ran inside with Impact following behind cautiously.

As Impact entered the Carousel Boutique, she stopped and stared in wonder at the beautiful dresses displayed all over the room.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle shouted, “Are you alright?”

As Sweetie Belle’s high-pitched yell broke her out of her trance, Impact noticed the “emergency” that Scootaloo wanted Twilight Sparkle to fix.

Across the room, a white unicorn winced in pain and cursed under her breath. She could see that her curly purple mane was caught in the inner workings of a sewing machine. Adding insult to injury, her tail was caught in a closed window.

“Oh, this is so humiliating…” a cheery, melodic voice whined, “I’m fine, Sweetie Belle…AH! Did you find Twilight?”

“Unfortunately, no…” she replied.

“Then who did you…GAH!” Rarity shrieked dreadfully at the sight of the silver unicorn. “Sweetie Belle!” she said angrily, “How could you bring a total stranger into my shop at a time like this…especially one as poorly-dressed as her!?” The purple-maned unicorn averted her gaze to her visitor. “I’m sorry, miss, but the Carousel Boutique is closed at the moment…”

“My sincere apologies for my unforeseen intrusion, Miss Rarity,” Impact interrupted, “but I can comprehend your quandary entirely. I too have intimate knowledge of the displeasuring sensations of absolute entrapment, and that is precisely why I intend to assist you. If you could kindly elucidate the nature of your predicament, I shall attempt to extract you from your vengeful machine posthaste.”

“Oh my…” Rarity gushed, a crimson blush burning across her cheeks, “Such etiquette… and such vocabulary…” Rarity turned to her little sister with a confused look on her face. “Umm… Sweetie Belle, could you translate?”

“She’s here to help get you unstuck. Just tell her what happened and she’ll get you out.”

“Dictionary…” Scootaloo said slyly.

“Chicken…” Sweetie Belle retorted.

“Touché…” the orange pegasus acknowledged with narrowed eyes and a nod.

“Forgive my outburst, miss…miss…I’m deeply sorry, but I don’t know your name.” Rarity admitted.

“Impact Hammer.” she replied, “Answers now, questions later.”

“Very well, Impact Hammer,” the unicorn continued, “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a seamstress.”

“I’ve noticed.” Impact replied, closing her eyes briefly so she could roll them without Rarity noticing.

“I was working on a custom-tailored dress for a very important client of mine when a boorishly uncouth insect flew in through the window and began flying in circles about my personal space, buzzing obnoxiously all the while. I shook my head to try to shoo it away, but in my moment of distraction, my mane fell into the path of the needle. By the time I realized what had happened, I had stitched it into the dress. I struggled to free myself, but that only made everything worse, and in my fit of anxiety, I accidentally brought the open window crashing down on my tail. Oh, how embarrassing…” she finished with a whine.

“I tried to open it,” Sweetie Belle added, “but I wasn’t strong enough…”

“So I see…” Impact said, getting a good look at the window and smiling to herself slightly. “This window isn’t hard to open…when you unlock it first…” Her horn glowed white, the latch slid open with a shrill creak, and she effortlessly popped the window open as the three fillies simultaneously facehoofed themselves.

“Ah told y’all tha window was locked…” Apple Bloom said sarcastically.

“Thank you.” Rarity replied with a sigh of relief.

“The sewing machine, however, will be more difficult.”

“Hey! Here’s a pair of scissors!” Scootaloo said hopefully, “Why not just cut her mane loose?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Rarity yelled.

“Why not?” Sweetie Belle pouted. “It’s so simple!”

“I’m sorry, girls, but I’d rather DIE than part with my luscious locks!” she whined, stomping her hoof to clarify where she stood on the subject. “NO! NO! NO! NO! N-YEEOWW!” she shrieked, recoiling in excruciating pain.

“What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle cried.

“I think I stepped on a tack! OWOWOWOWOWW!!!” Rarity squirmed feverishly, trying to make the pain go away. “Get it out. Get it out! GET! IT! OUT!”

“Please, Rarity! Hold still! You’re making everything worse!” Impact warned as the pitch of her whining grew higher and higher.

Sweetie Belle started crying because her sister was crying, then Scootaloo started flipping out, and finally, Apple Bloom lost it as well.

“Everypony, please remain calm!” she shouted in vain.

Unable to get through to anypony, Impact sighed as took a cautious step back. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

“I apologize in advance for this,” she whispered, “but you’ve left me no choice!”

She took the deepest breath she possibly could, and…

Twilight Sparkle and Spike had just arrived at the front door of the Carousel Boutique when every window in the building simultaneously exploded, followed by an ear-splitting, bloodcurdling scream. The unicorn tackled her dragon to the dirt, quickly casting a shield spell. She expected thousands of shards to bombard them, but the razor-sharp rainfall never came. Twilight slowly looked up, as did Spike, and they saw thousands of fragments of glass hovering in the air above and around the building. Rarity’s home now resembled a snow globe that had been vigorously shaken, then frozen in time. Suddenly, the shards began to move, almost as if time had realized its mistake and was willingly correcting itself. The shards of window glass drifted back into their frames, breaking in reverse as if the building was miraculously healing its wounds, thousands of cracks sealing instantly as if they never existed. Twilight raced inside to discover her best friend, her best friend’s sister, and her best friend’s sister’s best friends all clamping their hooves over their ears.

“Forgive my recklessness, but you are free…” Impact said with a flip of her mane as she plucked the offending tack from her hoof, having already untangled a terrified Rarity from her sewing machine. “Now it is I who requires your assistance.”

“OK. Once my magic kicks in, you have got to teach me that trick!” Sweetie Belle swooned, her eyes sparkling as she became totally starstruck.

“How in Equestria did you do that?” Rarity asked, thoroughly perplexed.

“It was a simple matter of disassembling the machine, freeing your mane, and then reassembling it. The noise was a distraction. You’ll probably need to restart that stitch, but at least you’re not tangled up anymore.”

“Oh…thank you!”

“Good morning, Rarity!” Twilight said with a nervously cheery smile. “I noticed my friend’s cloak was missing, so I figured she came here.”

“Twilight! Spike! Always a pleasure!” she greeted with a wince as Sweetie Belle stuck a bandage onto her hoof where the tack had been, “That was some storm last night! Did you sleep well?”

“Oh, we slept well, alright!” Spike chuckled, his voice heavy with sarcasm, “One might say that last night was a real scream.”

Horseapples! Impact thought as she facehoofed herself. I did have that dream again.

“I’m really sorry about last night, you two.” she said to Twilight and Spike with a sigh. “I’m also sorry for breaking your windows, Rarity. I’ve had anxiety issues ever since I was a filly, and whenever I get angry or scared, my magic shifts into maximum overdrive to the point where it becomes almost unpredictable, but I’ve learned how to fix whatever it breaks.”

“Impressive!” Twilight said, nodding in approval.

“That’s some serious control!” Spike noted.

“So, Impact Hammer,” Rarity said curiously, “What was the real reason for your visit, aside from rescuing me and scaring the daylights out of me?”

“I ripped my favorite cloak last night, and Twilight recommended you to fix it.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” the seamstress replied, “May I see it?”

“Should I go put it on?”

“A splendid idea!” She pointed a hoof toward the back of the shop. “The changing rooms are behind the blue curtains. Go on. Shoo! I can’t wait to get a better look at you!”

“OK! OK! I’ll be right back…” Impact said with a slight laugh as lifted up her saddlebags and disappeared behind a curtain.

“Frankly,” Rarity whispered to Twilight, “I just wanted to get her out of that hideous thing she walked in with.” She made a disgusted face. “Who in their right mind would wear something like that?”

“She borrowed that bathrobe from me.” the purple unicorn said flatly.

“Oh…heh heh…it looks good on you, though!”

“All set! How’s this?” Impact stepped out in her cloak, displaying the ripped section.

“Wow!” Rarity gushed gleefully. “That color really beings out your mane! Umm… Oh! I-DEE-AAA!” she trilled in a singsong voice, “I know just the thing to make it perfect! Maybe some ribbons, or a subtle sapphire accent! Just let me…”

“Maybe some other time, Rarity.” Impact sighed, dissuading her graciously. “This cloak means too much to me to corrupt with trivial bells and whistles. I just need just a simple repair. Can you do it?”

“Oh… certainly, darling!” she replied as she slipped on her glasses, “Just let me take a look at…at…” She trailed off as the edges of the tear fell away in opposite directions, revealing a large portion of her right flank. Rarity’s eyes widened as she noticed something, but kept her worried expression hidden behind her glasses. “A simple blanket stitch will fix this up quite nicely.” she advised, “Just stand still.” Using her magic, the master seamstress threaded her needle with dark blue thread and fixed the ripped section with the skills of a surgeon. “And…done!”

“Wow!” Impact cheered and she turned to look at Rarity’s needlework in the mirror. “It’s perfect!” She rummaged inside her saddlebags for a moment. “How much do I owe you? I’m pretty sure I have enough in here somewhere…”

“Nonsense!” Rarity chided, “You saved my precious purple curls from an emergency visit to the manestylist! Consider it a one-time courtesy…”

“Really?” she cheered as she hugged the white unicorn, “Thank you so much!”

“You’re very welcome.” Rarity replied, hugging her back, “Any friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine! I expect you to come back soon, though. I’ve designed outfits for everypony in Ponyville, and I think your colors will pose quite the creative challenge!”

“Challenge accepted, and I’ll try to be more careful with my cloak from now on…”

“See that you do, but if anything else should happen to it, you know who to talk to!”

“I most certainly will!”

“Oh! One last thing, and forgive me if I cross any boundaries, but that tear exposed an area most ponies wouldn’t want to conceal.”

“What do you mean?” Impact asked nervously, taking a cautious step back as her breathing became quicker and shallower.

“Because that’s where your Cutie Mark is!” Twilight cheered happily. “Everypony in Equestria loves to show off their Cutie Mark! Don’t you?”

Impact gulped, her pupils shrinking as her face paled from silver to white. Her heart started racing as a wave of old memories drenched her to the core.

She’d been caught.

“Darling, are you feeling alright?” Rarity asked worriedly, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something!”

I can’t go through this again, she thought to herself, It’s too soon. Please not here… Please not now…

She had to escape the madness, so she did the only thing she could think to do.

She spun on her hooves and ran out the door as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Impact! Wait!” Twilight shouted after her. “Where are you…?” she tried to yell, but she was already gone. “Why would she…run away like that?” she said with a huff, her feelings slightly bruised.

“Well, I never!” the seamstress huffed. “It’s very impolite to leave a conversation while somepony else is speaking.”

“Well, it’s Twilight’s fault that she sped off like that!” Spike scolded.

“How, Spike?” Twilight accused.

“Maybe it was something you said or did that set her off.” he retorted.

Rarity thought back to the last thing Twilight said to Impact.

Everypony in Ponyville loves to show off their Cutie Mark! Don’t you?

A full-body cloak…anxiety whenever somepony mentions Cutie Marks…why would she behave like that unless…

She remembered what she saw underneath the torn fabric and all of the pieces fit together.

“Sweet sparkling sapphires…” she gasped in bewilderment. She ran across the room, dragged out her special red couch, and fainted upon it with a sigh and a shudder.

“OK, Rarity, spill it.” Twilight demanded, “What did you see that was so bad?”

“Her…Her cloak…” she stammered.

“But you fixed the torn part!” Sweetie Belle reminded.

“Yes I did, but it’s what I saw underneath the fabric that worries me…”

“You saw her Cutie Mark! Big deal!" Scootaloo scoffed, “That’s not something worth fainting over!”

“That’s just it, Scootaloo.” Rarity admitted. “I didn’t see her Cutie Mark.”

“Are ya sure, Rarity?” Apple Bloom said, raising an eyebrow skeptically, “Ah think ya might’ve blinked or somethin’.”

“I know what I saw, Apple Bloom. I stared at it for a full ten seconds. There was nothing there. Impact Hammer does not, I repeat, does not, have a Cutie Mark.”

“But…but…How is that possible?” Twilight stammered.

“I don’t know,” Rarity replied, “but we should not try to confront her about it. She seems like a very sensitive unicorn. You know there is a logical explanation for this, Twilight, so let’s find it.”

“I’ve been searching for something good to include in my next report to the princess…” Twilight’s eyes lit up as she got an idea. “Maybe Impact has the next friendship problem I’m supposed to solve! Let’s go!”

“Spike, could you be a dear and watch the girls for me until we get back?”

“Sure, Rarity…” the dragon swooned, “Anything for you…”

“Thank you so much!” she cheered, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek as payment for his services. “Now, girls. Spike’s in charge until I get back. Please don’t make a mess while I’m gone!”

“OK, Rarity!” the three fillies replied.

The two unicorns walked out of the shop and toward the center of town, hoping to figure out this very strange problem plaguing their friend.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle.” Scootaloo whispered once the unicorns were out of earshot, “Does Rarity still have any of that gold fabric left?”

“Yeah. I think so.” the unicorn filly replied, “Why?”

“Because I think we have some work to do.”

After barreling down the streets at breakneck speed, Impact felt safe in the center of Ponyville. Nopony was chasing after her, nopony was out to get her, and everything was perfect again…

“OH NO!” came a desperate call from up above.

Impact looked up to see a yellow pegasus with a pink mane shouting at the top of her lungs, pointing at something that was plummeting out of the sky like a lead balloon.

“HE CAN’T FLY! SOMEPONY CATCH HIM!” she called.

Impact was grateful for her skills as a trotceuse, a skilled female practitioner of EPK, equine parkour, since she was ten. She raced forwards and started bouncing off of tables, chairs, and awnings, using anything she could to gain altitude. Racing across the top of a nearby building, she leapt off the edge of the roof and caught the small animal in her outstretched hooves. Unfortunately, she was still two stories off the ground and there was nothing that would break her fall…or so she thought.

“COMING THROUGH!!!”

She turned, just a fraction of a second too late, to a see sky blue pegasus with a rainbow mane speeding towards her. She contorted her body to protect the animal in her hooves as the unicorn and pegasus collided with the force of a freight train, sending both spiraling out of control toward the ground. A dozen ponies gasped at the terrible mid-air collision, until a single hoof broke through the dust cloud, balancing a single baby duck. Cheers erupted throughout the town square.

“Are you okay, little duckling?” the pink-maned pegasus asked softly as picked up the baby duck, dusted it off, and checked it for any injuries. The little duck quacked, lucky to be alive, but soon doubled over, flopping about in pain.

“Oh no!” she cried, “I think something’s wrong with his wing!”

“Hold on, it might be broken.” Impact wheezed, still lying on the ground, “I know a spell to fix that. Just keep him still.”

Impact’s horn glowed white as the yellow pegasus gently held the duck in place. His wing started to glow white as well, mending itself from within as the broken bones reset themselves. Soon enough, the duck’s wing was fully healed and he quacked happily, obviously grateful for whatever the large gray…thing had done to him.

“Now, little fella, that’s a temporary fix. No flying for a couple days while your wing heals. We don’t want to quack those little bones of yours again, now do we?”

The little duckling quacked happily, almost as if he somehow understood the joke.

“Try to put some milk in his diet too.” she said to the pegasus. “I'm no vet pony, but the calcium boost should help strengthen the bones.”

“Good to know!” the yellow pegasus giggled, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him until he can fly again! Here, let me help you up…”

“OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH!” the cyan pegasus cried, rushing over to the injured unicorn after she got her bearings. “I am SO sorry! I totally didn’t see you! Are you okay?”

The two pegasi lifted Impact to her hooves, but as she stood up, she felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder joint. No bloodshed, no broken bones, just a white-hot searing pain she’d felt at least four other times in that very joint.

“Just a dislocation…” she winced, grabbing her right hoof with her left and jerking it back into place. As the joint properly reoriented itself, her shriek of pain melted into a sigh of almost-orgasmic delight. “Oh…that’s the stuff. How can something that hurts so bad feel so good?”

“I don’t know, but excellent catch, by the way!” the rainbow-maned pegasus replied, “Your landing could’ve used some work, though. Name’s Rainbow Dash!” She extended a hoof to greet the new pony in Ponyville.

“I’m Fluttershy.” the pink-maned pegasus added, offering her hoof as well. “Thanks again for saving my duckling.”

“Impact Hammer. It’s been a pleasure.” the silver unicorn said, lightly pressing her hoof against theirs as a gesture of friendship. “Anytime.”

“Sorry to leave such an impact on you, Impact,” Rainbow Dash said, chuckling at her wordplay as she began to hover, “but I gotta clear out the rest of those storm clouds from last night! See you later!”

“Nice meeting you too, R-Dash!” Impact called, using a shortened version of the pegasus’ name for a quicker farewell.

“Hmm… R-Dash…” the sky-blue pegasus said to herself as she zoomed off into the clear blue sky. “Cool nickname! I’m keeping it!”

“Well, it was wonderful meeting you, too,” Fluttershy said softly as she departed, “but I need to get this poor little fella back home so he can rest where it’s safe and warm. Are you going to be alright?”

“Go ahead.” Impact politely dismissed, “I know so many healing spells, there’s a hospital in my head. Besides, I needed to stop by Sugarcube Corner anyway!”

“Smart decision. A little sweetness can brighten any sour day. Bye, Impact!” Fluttershy called as she flew away.

As Impact stepped into the bakery, her muzzle was beaten half to death by the endless assault of delicious aromas coming from inside. Even after ten years, she still couldn’t single out any one particular scent from another. The whole building reeked of cinnamon, sugar, fresh fruit, and liquid awesome. Everything just blended together so beautifully.

“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” a blue mare in an apron greeted cheerfully, “What would you like, sweetie?”

“Oh, sorry.” Impact said, shaking her mane to snap herself out of her scent-induced stupor. “It always smells so good in here. Three blueberry muffins, please! I also wanted to place a special order for a cake too.”

“Sure thing! That’ll ten bits for the muffins…”

Impact lifted ten bits from her bag and set them on the counter.

“…And I’ll ring up your special order after you tell me what you want.”

The unicorn then pulled a small pouch filled with coins from her bag and set it on the counter.

“100 bits exactly.” the silver unicorn said, “I counted four times.”

“Why so many?” the proprietress wondered with slight concern, putting the coins into the register.

“Consider it a gift.” she replied. “Acrylic Paint sends her regards…”

“Acrylic Paint?” Mrs. Cake stopped in her tracks as she frowned, “I haven’t heard that name in a while… She was a nice pegasus. How did you know her?”

“Mom always was a terrible baker…” Impact replied, shaking her head slightly.

The pastry mare’s eyes widened as she finally recognized the very familiar customer before her.

“Impact Hammer!? Is that you!?” she asked in amazement.

“Yes, ma’am.” the unicorn blushed.

“Oh my goodness!” she gasped, “Look how you’ve grown!” She called for her husband. “Honey! Come see who’s here!”

“Who’s here, Sugar?” Mr. Cake asked as he left the kitchen for a brief moment.

“Do you remember Acrylic Paint?”

“Sorry…not ringing any bells.” Mr. Cake said.

“Sledge Hammer’s wife?”

“Oh, now I remember!” the baker exclaimed. “They helped us rebuild after those blasted termites took over all those years ago. Our first customers after we reopened…bought a blue velvet cake for their daughter’s…”

“Say hello to that daughter.”

He leaned in for a closer look.

“Sweet cream frosting, it is her! Back again like clockwork, eh, Impact?”

“Yes, sir. I’m here for my usual; a round blue velvet cake with vanilla frosting.”

“Thanks, darling!” Mr. Cake said gratefully. “What’s the magic number this time?” he inquired.

“Eighteen.”

“Oh my…” Mrs. Cake said, clutching a hoof to her mouth, “So it’s been…”

“Yeah…” she replied, somewhat misty-eyed, “Tomorrow makes ten years to the day.”

“I’m so sorry...here are your muffins!” She passed Impact a brown paper bag. “Your cake should be ready by this afternoon!”

“Thank you!” Impact said gratefully as she slid the pastries into her bag.

“Mrs. Cake! I can’t find the triple chocolate fros…ting…,” a bubblegum pink pony said as she walked out of the kitchen. A loud screech echoed from her lips as she laid eyes upon a unicorn she didn’t recognize.

“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!” she said, racing over to her, “What’s your name?”

“Uhh…Impact Hammer.”

“That’s a weird name, but I like it. Strong and sweet, like cinnamon licorice…” She pressed a hoof to her lips as she gasped again. “OHMYGOSH! Are you new in town? You’re new in town, aren’t you? I’ve never seen you before, so you must be new in town! WHEE! I’ve been waiting for a good excuse to plan a party this week, not that I need a good excuse because planning parties is what I do!”

“P-p-parties?” Impact stuttered.

“Sure!” Pinkie cheered, “I can whip up a Welcome-to-Ponyville party for you, with cake and ice cream and streamers and punch…”

“No…” the unicorn said sadly.

“And balloons and cupcakes and pin-the-tail-on-the…wait! Did you just say…no?”

“Please, I appreciate the sentiment, Pinkie Pie, but just…no.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“If you knew anything at all about me, you’d know that there’s nothing in my life worth celebrating…”

“You’re alive! That’s always worth celebrating!” she cheered, “When’s your birthday?”

Impact only retreated further.

“Now Pinkie,” Mrs. Cake reprimanded, “You know that Mr. Cake and I support your love of parties 100%, right?”

“Of course, Mrs. Cake!”

“I know this might be hard to hear, Pinkie dear, but I’m asking you as nicely as possible. Do not plan a party for Impact Hammer.”

“But she’s new in town!” Pinkie whined, “I have to!”

“No, you don’t.” Mr. Cake said sternly, “You don’t know what we know. Around this time of year, that unicorn hates parties with every fiber of her being.”

“Well, duh!” Pinkie scoffed with a snort, “That’s because she’s never been to one of my parties before!”

“I’m serious, Pinkie.” Mrs. Cake warned, “If you throw her a party, I can guarantee that you will regret your decision forever.”

“Hmm…NAH!” Pinkie denied, “I’ll take my chances!” she said as she bounced upstairs in search of triple chocolate frosting.

“Thanks again, Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” Impact said, trying in vain to break the tension, “I’ll be back this afternoon!”

“So long, Impact!” the Cakes said, waving goodbye.

“I don’t know what makes her so special,” Pinkie grumbled as she stared down at the blue-and-black maned unicorn from the second-story window of Sugarcube Corner. Her pink mane had deflated, hanging limp, straight and lifeless. “I will NOT jeopardize my perfect party record because some new pony in town told me NO.” she muttered as a psychotic, impish grin spread across her face, “The word NO does not exist in Pinkamena Diane Pie’s vocabulary. When you set hoof on my turf, I’m throwing you a party, one way or another, whether you like it or not.” She rubbed her hooves together almost diabolically. “Time to get the party planning started…”

“OOH! CHOCOLATE!” she squealed unexpectedly, the sweet, creamy distraction popping her mane back to normal.

“Well, since I have some time left to kill,” Impact said to herself as she polished off one of her muffins, “and it’s about time for lunch…” She suddenly got an idea! “I never properly thanked Applejack for rescuing me. I should drop by and say hello. Let’s see if I remember where…”

After some creative altitude adjustments, Impact could see a massive grove of apple trees in the distance, surrounding a big red barn.

“Oh!” she chuckled, “There it is!”

She blazed her own trail to Sweet Apple Acres, racing through Ponyville in the most unorthodox ways possible, from racing along fences to sliding flanks-first underneath a massive pane of glass two stallions were hauling. She used every means of travel she could think of…until she ran out of things to climb. Eventually, as the space grew wider and the noise level grew smaller, she started to relax, trotting along casually like the wanderer she was, without a worry in Equestria, until she found her destination. She wove her way between the trees, moving as stealthily as a ninja and enjoying the peaceful silence, until she accidentally cracked a fallen twig with her hoof.

“THAT TEARS IT, YA APPLE-THEIVIN’ VARMINT!” a voice called from somewhere in the trees.

The silver unicorn froze. A split-second later, she felt a rope wrap around her hooves and all she could taste was dirt.

“HA-HA! AH DONE GOTCHA NOW, YA SCHEMIN’ LITTLE…” a Southern drawl shouted in triumph as the owner of the voice stepped out of the shadows of the trees to confront her prey. Impact looked up and caught a very clear view of her attacker. She was orange, with a blond mane and a straw hat, but her most prominent features at the moment were her cheeks. The farm pony was blushing fiercely, her face glowing redder that most of the apples in the orchard.

“Is this how you greet everypony who stops by to say hello?” Impact said with a goofy grin on her face. Using her magic, she pulled one of her two remaining blueberry muffins from her bag and held it out, hoping to make peace with her ‘ponynapper’. “Here! Have a muffin!” she said, as sweetly and innocently as possible.

“MUFFINS!!!” a gray pegasus shouted from the clouds as she swooped down, snatched the berry-laden pastry out of the air, and flew away with a treat in her mouth, a smile on her face, and her eyes pointing in different directions.

Both ponies stood dumbstruck, wondering what the hay had just happened.

“Who…? What…? HUH!?!?” the hogtied pony whined after her muffin vanished.

“And…ya just met Ditzy Doo.” Applejack said smugly.

“Gray pegasus, yellow eyes that don’t quite line up just right?”

“Eeyup.” she replied, doing her best imitation of her brother. “She’s tha mailmare ‘round these parts, but she loves her muffins almost as much as Twilight loves her books.”

“I remember seeing her at Sugarcube Corner about half an hour ago. Did she follow me or something?”

“Beats me!” she replied with an unsure shrug, “Ah swear she’s a few apples short of a full bushel, but she’s sweeter than caramel!”

Applejack untied Impact after she explained what she was doing in her part of the orchard. They walked down one of the many paths through the orchard, but stopped under a wide, shady apple tree to rest a bit, split Impact’s last muffin, and chat for a while.

“Tried ta find tha farmhouse and got lost, didja?” the orange pony asked as she munched on her half.

“It was actually kinda fun at first,” she replied with a nod as she took a bite of her half, “but I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Ah understand. Happens ta everypony. Shoot, even Ah still get lost in these trees every now and then.”

“Now that you mention it,” she said as she looked up, “those apples are looking pretty delicious right about now…”

“Ya want one?”

Impact tentatively extended and retracted her hoof as she weighed the pros and cons of the moral conflict in her head.

“Should I?” she asked, speaking in a high voice on behalf of her stomach.
“No, I shouldn’t.” she advised, speaking in a low voice on behalf of her conscience.
“But I really want one!”
“That would be stealing, and stealing is wrong.”
“Is anypony really gonna miss just one?”
“The guilt will tear you apart like an Ursa Major.”
“Come on! I’m starving down here!”
“You just had a blueberry muffin! HOW can you be starving?”
“I JUST AM, OKAY!?”
“Crybaby…”
“Shut up!”
“No, you shut up!”
“How about you BOTH shut up?” Impact said, her normal voice taking over.

“Are ya alright, sugarcube?” Applejack said worriedly, “Even us farm ponies know that conversin’ with yerself ain’t normal.”

The unicorn froze in embarrassment as she realized that she was discussing her crisis of conscience out loud.

“Sorry, Applejack.” the blushing unicorn chuckled nervously, “I just don’t know what to do! UGH!” she groaned. She slammed the back of her head repeatedly against the trunk of the tree, once…twice…three times…and on the third slam, a bright red apple fell straight into her lap.

“Tha fruit wants what tha fruit wants.” the farm pony chuckled, “Just like that Sir Isaac feller who figured out gravity and whatnot.”

She held the unblemished fruit in her outstretched hooves and just stared at it, the moral compass in the back of her mind spinning wildly out of control.

“Eat it, sugarcube.” Applejack assured with a warm smile, “Sometimes tha pony picks tha apple, but when tha apple picks tha pony, it’s outta mah hooves.”

She cautiously bit into the juicy red apple and nearly fainted from the taste, moaning in utter bliss.

“MMM!” she moaned, “SO DELICIOUS!” Her nostrils flared heavily, taking in lungful after lungful of oxygen as a wave of sensations from her fillyhood came bubbling to the forefront of her brain. She squealed in ecstasy and had to cross her legs tightly to conceal her excitement.

“Ah’ve heard of ponies having strange reactions to our apples,” the orange pony asked curiously as she sniffed the air, “but didja just have a…behind-barn-doors moment, y’know, all special-like?”

“Sorry…” she whimpered breathlessly as she blushed, “It’s been…so long… I couldn’t…stop myself… So many…wonderful…memories…”

“What kinda memories?” she asked as Impact caught her breath and regained her composure.

“My parents and I first came to Ponyville on my fifth birthday to get a special custom cake from Sugarcube Corner. Mom got the cake and Dad bought a bushel of apples from this very orchard. I still remember my first taste of Sweet Apple Acres.” She licked her lips in delight, savoring the fruity, juicy taste she’d adored ever since fillyhood. “I reacted about the same way I did just now.”

“Ya don’t say!”

“Serious as a heart attack.” Impact said, reinforcing her affection for apples. “From that day on, we unanimously agreed to celebrate all my birthdays in Ponyville, which is November 17th, by the way.”

“Wait.” The orange pony double-checked the calender etched into her brain. “That’s tomorrow, ain’t it? Well, happy birthday, girl!”

“Thanks.” she replied. “Unfortunately, my parents passed away a few years later.” she admitted, her ears drooping sadly.

“Oh…” Applejack said with a sad tone, “Ah’m sorry. I know how it feels losin’ both yer parents young, but Ah’ll always have Big Mac and Apple Bloom ta keep me company.”

“I was an only child, but a very special mare took me in after my parents died. She lived in Canterlot, and still does to this day, but she always let me go back to Ponyville every year just to keep my family tradition alive...with one extra detail.”

“What’s that?” Applejack wondered.

“At sunset, I have a little one-pony memorial at Ponyville Cemetery.”

“What do ya do fer this memorial?”

“I talk to them about what’s happened in my life over the past year, the ups and downs, the highs and lows, just to keep them in the loop. Then I lay between their graves, light my candles, make a wish, and blow them out. Then we all have a slice of cake and an apple. Well, I eat mine, but they don’t actually eat anything…”

“It’s a sentimental thang. Ah get ’cha!” Applejack interjected, her southern drawl infused with sympathy.

“Then I pack up my wagon and head for home.”

“Impact,” she said, placing a hoof on her shoulder, “that’s a downright perfect way to spend a birthday.”

As the two made their way to the farmhouse, Impact heard the high-pitched giggling of several fillies and noticed a small wooden building at the top of one small tree.

“What’s that over there?” she asked, pointing to the tiny cottage.

“That there’s Apple Bloom’s clubhouse. Used ta be mine, but Ah spruced it up fer her last year. She and her friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, have special meetings up there ‘bout what crazy stunt they wanna do next ta try and earn their Cutie Marks.”

“They don’t have theirs yet?” Impact moaned in slight disappointment, touching a hoof to her own flank concealed beneath her cloak.

“Nope, but they will. Everypony gets their Cutie Mark eventually.” Applejack listened for more noises. “I think they’re up there right now, but I gotta get back ta buckin’. End of tha season’s comin’ up fast.”

“Would you mind if I spoke to them just for a minute?”

“What for?” she wondered.

“It’s kinda personal, but I think they’ll be able to help…”

“Well, whatever floats yer boat, Ah reckon.” she said with a shrug, “Apple Bloom can point ya to tha farmhouse when yer done. Either me or Big Mac can help ya with yer apples when we catch a break.”

“Maybe I can try my hoof at apple-bucking, too?”

“Sorry sugarcube,” the apple farmer replied, “Ah prefer ta get tha buckin’ done by mahself this late in tha season. It’s a pride thang…but maybe next season!”

“I understand.” Impact replied.

“See ya in a bit!”

“Later!” she replied as Applejack galloped off down the path.

“Hello?” Impact called into the clubhouse. “Is anypony up there?”

“Who’s down there?” Scootaloo asked, leaning her head out of the treehouse window.

“Just me…” she replied.

“Hey, Impact! Good to see you again!”

“Who all is up there right now?”

“Just tha three of us!” Apple Bloom confirmed. “Why?”

“Can I come up and talk to you fillies about something?”

“Sure!” Sweetie Belle replied, “We actually wanted to talk to you too! Come on up!”

Impact smiled and carefully ascended the ramp into the quaint and colorful structure.

“Welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse!” they greeted as Impact opened the door.

“Wow!” she gasped, taking in the decor. “It’s so…cozy!”

“Ah know, right?” Apple Bloom concurred. She politely encouraged her new guest to take a seat, which she did.

“It’s beautiful, but I came up here because I had a question to ask...” Impact started to say.

“Is it true that ya don’t have yer Cutie Mark yet!?” Apple Bloom suddenly blurted out, quickly covering her mouth with her hooves.

“Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle scolded.

“Yes…” she sighed, “It’s true.”

“So you’re a blank flank just like us?” Scootaloo inquired, her eyes alight and sparkling.

“How is that even possible?” Sweetie Belle asked, “A pony your age should’ve earned your Cutie Mark years ago!”

“It’s a long story, but let me ask you three a question… Why don’t you have your Cutie Marks?”

“My unicorn magic hasn’t kicked in yet…” Sweetie Belle said, pointing to her horn.

“I’m not strong enough to fly…” Scootaloo sighed, flapping her wings solemnly.

“I just haven’t found my talent yet…” Apple Bloom moped, snorting in frustration.

“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Can you show us your blank flank now?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sure.” Impact whimpered, her body suddenly trembling with fear.

“What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked, “Are you scared?”

“A little bit, but it’s more than just my Cutie Mark that I’m scared of.”

The three fillies joined hooves with their new friend.

“What could be scarier than not having a Cutie Mark?” they asked.

“I haven’t taken off my cloak in public for almost ten years.” she admitted, “I’m not sure how you’ll react. I’m so terrified I can hear my heart racing…”

“You have nothing to be afraid of.” Sweetie Belle cooed gently, “Nopony is here but us.”

“Before I show you the real me,” the silver unicorn requested in a whisper, “you have to promise, and I mean Pinkie Pie Promise, that you will never tell anypony about what you see until I’m ready to tell them myself.”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” the fillies promised, performing the trust ritual flawlessly.

“Alright…here we go…” Impact said with a slow exhale. She slid off her saddlebags, undid the clasp about her neck and pulled her cloak off over her head, revealing her bare flanks, and as the Crusaders’ eyes widened, something else. Something much more unexpected than a mere blank flank.

“Whoa.” Scootaloo said in shock.

“What the hay!?” Apple Bloom shouted.

“I don’t believe it.” Sweetie Belle whispered.

“You’re…you’re…you’re…” they chanted in unison like a broken record.

“I know, right?” Impact moaned as she started weeping, “I’m hideous.”

“You’re…AMAZING!!!” Scootaloo cheered, “See, girls? I told you she was perfect! I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on her!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded in stunned agreement.

“Huh?” she said in disbelief.

“Look at you!” the orange pegasus declared as she walked around her, “You’re a blank flank, just like us, and the rest makes you one-of-a-kind, just like us!”

“But…How do you deal with it?” Impact wondered, “You know, not having your Cutie Marks? It feels like such a curse, but you make it look so easy…”

“Sure, there are the colts and fillies who like to pick on us, like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon," Sweetie Belle replied as she spat the names with more venom than a snakebite, "but my big sister Rarity always reminds me to be proud of who I am no matter what I look like.”

“Applejack’s always talkin’ ‘bout how patience is a virtue,” Apple Bloom added, “and how good thangs come ta those who wait.”

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” Scootaloo concurred, “Rainbow Dash always used to say that to cheer me up when I was feeling down.”

“And when all else fails, we always have each other!” they cheered as the three fillies hugged one another.

“And we want you too, Impact!” Scootaloo said.

“Come again?” she questioned.

“Sweetie Belle, give her the present.”

“Right!” the white unicorn said as she pulled a red bundle from a paper bag and tossed it to Impact.

“I made it this morning after Rarity and Twilight left the Carousel.” the seamstress’ sister said, “It’s a little bigger that I usually make it, I’m pretty sure it’ll fit you.”

She unfolded it to reveal a red cape, lined with a gold-colored fabric that sparkled like the sun and emblazoned on both sides with a blue patch containing the yellow silhouette of a rearing pegasus.

“What is this?” the mesmerized unicorn asked.

“Our team uniform.” Scootaloo explained.

“We want ya ta be one of us.” Apple Bloom said with a smile. “We want ya ta join the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

“So the four of us can earn our Cutie Marks together!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Me?” Impact replied, unsure of how to respond.

She’d kept her blank flank hidden for years. If anything, she’d been trying to keep Equestria in the dark about her very existence! But these fillies displayed their blank flanks like badges of honor, and they wanted her to join them in the spotlight! They were extending the hooves of friendship and offering a place in their sisterhood; a chance at acceptance, a place to belong, an opportunity to start over anew. Maybe…she could learn from them, and they from her. She looked deep into the eyes of the unmarked fillies, warm, innocent, and inviting. How could she say no?

“I’m so touched…” she gasped. “I’d…I’d love to…”

Her horn glowed white and she draped her new gift over her back, knotting it securely around her neck.

“It fits perfectly, Sweetie Belle!” she cried, gasping at its featherlike softness, “Thank you so much!”

“YAY!” the three fillies cheered as they embraced their newest Crusader. They felt droplets of moisture fall onto their faces and looked up to see tears flowing freely from her eyes.

“You three don’t realize how happy you’ve just made me.” Impact said, squeezing her new friends a little bit tighter, “I’ve been so alone for so long that I forgot how it feels to belong. Please, promise me that you’ll never abandon me. Promise that we’ll be friends forever.”

“We promise!” the three replied, “Cross our hearts and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eye!”

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the Crusaders, Pinkie Pie was bouncing down the main road with a stack of invitations in her saddlebag. She bounced over to Applejack and passed her one, inviting her, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom to the party.

“A surprise party fer tha new girl?” she inquired.

“Yeah!” the party pony cheered, “I already invited the rest of our friends! Are you gonna be there?”

“Shoot! Ah wouldn’t miss it! Big Mac might not make it, but Ah think Apple Bloom sure will!”

“Be at Sugarcube Corner at half past three.” Pinkie reminded, “The party starts at four.”

“Ah’ll finish buckin’ as fast as Ah can, then Ah’ll be there!”

She bounced away in a hurry, eager to deliver the rest of her invitations.

After her enjoyable afternoon with the Crusaders, Impact remembered the cake she was supposed to pick up from Sugarcube Corner. She’d already tasted an SAA apple this year, and she could always get more later. The cake was far more important.

She donned her saddlebags, descended the access ramp, and returned to the main road unseen, but stopped dead in her tracks when she realized what she was still wearing. She ducked behind a nearby apple tree, switched her new Crusader cape for her precious blue cloak, and raced back to the bakery as fast as her hooves could carry her, again taking the most creatively efficient route she could find, hoping that she wasn’t too late.

The clock was striking four as she arrived at Sugarcube Corner, but as she approached the bakery’s front door, she swore under her breath. All the lights were off and nopony was home…but the door was still opened just a crack, piquing her natural curiosities. She nosed it open and cautiously strode inside.

“Mr. & Mrs. Cake?” she called nervously, “Are you still here? I hope I’m not too late for…”

“SURPRISE!” everypony cheered as balloons and confetti rained down.

“What is all this?” Impact said in shock.

“It’s a party!” Twilight Sparkle cheered.

“For you!” Applejack hollered with delight.

“You’re welcome!” Pinkie shouted gleefully from across the room, balancing a round cake on her head. She walked toward the nearest table and set the confection down. “I helped Mrs. Cake prepare this blue velvet cake you ordered. After I finished frosting it, I noticed Mrs. Cake write a message on it. When she finished and I saw the words ‘Happy 18th Birthday’ written in dark blue icing, I nearly lost my mind! I mean, I’ve never missed a birthday party for anypony in Ponyville, so missing yours…GASP…would destroy my perfect record! I couldn’t have that, so…I whipped this party together in a flash, and invited everypony I knew, just for you. SURPRISE!”

Mr. and Mrs. Cake just sighed and crept into the kitchen, hoping to escape the ticking time bomb their assistant had just armed.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie, what have you done?” she muttered, wrapping herself in her husband’s hooves, “I hope Impact doesn’t hurt her, honey…”

“Hurt her?” Mr. Cake said as he embraced his wife and kissed her. “I’m sorry, sweetums. We tried to protect them, but it’s in Celestia’s hooves now. If her temper is anything like her father’s, it’ll be a miracle if she doesn’t kill her.”